What do speed sketches and sandals have in common, you may ask?
Well, I’ve never had time for much make-up and frills. while I have now moved on from cargo pants and trainers, most days you’ll still find me in jeans and flip-flops. But recently I have realised the Power of Shiny Shoes.
When I change my flip-flops for classy sandals, the whole outfit looks better (even though it consists of the same garments). More importantly though I feel more polished, which gives me confidence, which leads me to try more challenging things.
And all that makes me think of the positive effect of putting a little more polish on my daily speed sketches and cartoons.
When you create something polished, it feels good
That sense of achievement and pride can then fuel your creative engine for a good distance. Regularly refuelling your creative tank is important to avoid one day rolling gently to a stop.
And yet I often speak of the value of doing volumes of work, and how I would rather settle for 30 rough sketches in 30 days than two polished pictures in the same time period. It seems we may need to back up a little.
And think about speed sketches. With ‘classy sandals’…
What is speed sketching? Speed sketching is simply working as quickly as you can.
It’s important because it overpowers your inner critic, gets you into the creative side of your brain and allows you to draw instinctively. It’s also the best way I’ve found to get through large volumes of practice. In short, speed sketching is a great tool for anyone who wants to draw faster and more accurately.
But simply sketching roughly day after day can lead to a feeling of Unfinished Business.
The momentum is great, but in time you yearn for… polish.
Luckily, you can have both volume and polish
Simply speed sketch first, and then choose one of those sketches and finish it well. Take the time to
- position the limbs precisely,
- ink in those outlines,
- add a pop of spot-colour.
Now sit back and enjoy the moment.
Even better, take your sketchbook and head over to look in the mirror. Who do you see smiling contentedly back at you? No matter what’s on your feet, you have a polished sketch in your hands, so life is good ?.
Now it’s your turn
Take the next 15 minutes for yourself.
Grab the newspaper and turn to the funnies (or head over to www.gocomics.com for a reference).
Copy your favourite cartoon character/s as quickly and sketchily as you can, then choose the one you like best and take 5 final minutes to polish it up.
Voilà!
Volume and polish: the best of both worlds. Without even changing your shoes ?.